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A terrible storm swept over this city
at about 6:30 o'clock last Sunday evening , leaving destruction, death
and devastation in it's wake. Sunday afternoon the sky was covered with
heavy dark clouds which seemed to overspread the entire canopy of the
heavens. About 4 o'clock light peals of thunder were heard and the
potential for a good rain, but the air gradually took on a peculiar
temperature and became somewhat sultry.
We heard several remarks that the air
seemed "cyclonish," but the people who made such remarks were regarded
as cranks or wandering Willies. About half past five the clouds from
opposite directions seemed to move to one concentrated point. This
procedure was slow and easy. Finally, several miles west of town, a
huge bank of dark cloud took a definite potion and it stood out like a
peninsula extending it the sea. This clouds were apparently the
bartering ram of the elements. It's nose was pointed southwest while
it's long bulky body was pointed northeast towards the city. Small
clouds would emerge from some invisible spot and move slowly along the
right side huge but instant they reached the point of nose of this
aerial demon and followed a line like a letter C, were carried back into
its body where they would disappear as if taken under the wing of the
large cloud. This sort of play by the elements continued for a while
and the cloud that moved out became larger and finally the nose of the
cloud or monster would bend around a bit in hanging onto a cloud that
was driven by it's nose and the cloud after passing the point of the
cloud came back in usual C line, but began to dive under the big cloud
and come around again on the other side. People who saw this were not
long in making up their minds of what was taking place. The point of the
big cloud kept bending the point of it nose around farther and farther
after the small clouds in their circulation rout. It seemed as if the
big cloud was filling up and preparing for some terrible fray. Finally,
the nose of the heavy clouded monster hung onto a train of small clouds
in the circulation rout and gradually the whole bulk of the big cloud
followed the nose into the whirl. The whole mass moved around for a
while and took a shot for the ground, the clouds took the shape of a
funnel. This shape would shoot down and then raise up again as if it
were elastic, finally the point went to the ground and instantly dirt,
boards, shrubbery, etc rose in to a disbelieved mass into the air and
the cyclone was a reality.
The cyclone started on the C. R. Bassett farm about
three miles southwest of town and took a direct line to the city. There
was a terrible rumbling noise and people begin running in every
direction to seek a place of safety. They packed cellars and caves and
realized the terror was approaching and knew it was breathing hell's
furry. The light was of a strange quality. It seemed like a soft
Calcium effulgence. Houses began to crash; chimneys and trees toppled
over and general aerial pandemonium prevailed. Trees stock and debris
went sailing through the air. The cyclone lasted about five minutes, but
it seemed like an hour. Then there was calm and people timid and weak
from fear emerged from their places and to inspect the damage. Such a
sight.
Destruction was everywhere and cries of the injured
and supplications of the homeless were enough to the hardens heart.
Instantly, hundreds of people were on the grounds
and the dead and injured were taken in care and removed and taken to the
homes of more fortunate citizens. Women fainting and frantic moving
about the streets and everything was in confusion and excitement. Side
walks were swept away and what remained were blocked with trees and
debris and the streets were almost impassable but the surging determined
mass of humanity soon had pathways cut through the fences, trees and
debris and people were making the rounds viewing the ruins. Mothers with
their children crouched about them were ringing their hands and crying
over the death of one of the family or some member injured or perhaps
the little home swept away. And all the household goods swept to the
four winds. Men were busy removing the wreckage and freed those caught
in it or imprisoned in cellars. The face of many brave men were pail and
moistened with tears at the horrible sight; - pictures of destruction
and ruin which will never fade from their memory.
It was the first cyclone that has ever visited Seneca
and may the "Lord look upon us" and never send another like that one.
Seneca was looked upon as being cyclone proof, but she has surely lost
its charm.
The cyclone entered the city from the southwest,
first feeding on the Fair Grounds and the southwest corner of town and
then going north near the depot to Rafol's, then northeast slightly
below the Scrafford' second edition.
There are few homes in the city that are not
slightly damaged and the flue or chimney of nearly every house was
blown off.
The fair grounds suffered a total lost; sheds,
stables, floral hall, exhibit hall and all are a mass of ruins.
The Grand Opera House an elegant structured 40 by 135
feet equipped by electricity and gas, seating capacity of one thousand
is s total wreck and lays flat on the ground. estimated lost $10,000.
The fine court house is completely demolished. The
cyclone took out the entire center of the west side and most of the east
side, leaving the both ends standing erect, though badly shattered.
Roofs all gone and the cupolas blown into a large pile of ruins. It is
a complete wreck and we hope the Board of Commissioners will not be
short sighted enough to try and repair the old structure for if they
do it will always be a rickety old trap. While it is a lost to the
county of $25,000, yet the Court House never cost the county a cent, as
it was built by Lappin and Scrafford. They built the first one and when
it was destroyed by fire the insurance company built the present one.
If it was one thing about the city that our people
generally felt proud of it was the fine grove of ornamental trees that
gave Seneca the appearance of being located in a veritable wood land;
Shade trees and fruit trees that people have been caring for years are
nearly all torn out by the roots and carried from their original
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Four people were killed outright, many
injured and may miraculously escaped instant death. Indeed many
statements of narrow escape seem almost in creditable and the wonder is
that no more people were killed. If the cyclone had occurred at night
hundreds would have been killed who thus escaped.
It is an incalculable damage to Seneca
and it will be years before she will recover from the effect and the
devastation before the region again built up. The lost sustained by
the city will be $250,000.00.
Many families are without homes,
household goods, and almost without clothing and are left penniless. It
is upon these that this awful calamity falls with a heavy hand and not
alone our most fortunate citizens, but people living about Seneca,
should extend the hand of charity and assist the hand of charity, and
assist these sufferers. Here in the city the spirit of charity was
manifest from the very moment the awful destruction occurred and the
hospitality of our citizens is commendable.
The killed here in the city are:
Wilber Vorhes , Lela Connet Willis Connet and Frank Assenmcher.
The injured are: Mr. and Mrs. Jus Parceils, David Dabler, Little
girl of Grand Dabler, Little boy of Jack Brown, W. T. Belshaw, Ann
Manovski, Rose Karnovski, A. Hawley, M. E. Vorhes, M. R. Connet, A. M.
Sams, Henry Kampart Sr., G. W. Plummer, Will Assenmacher, Ed.
Assenmacher, M. and Mrs. W. H. Young, Mr. Milton Hobbs, Miss Eva Hobbs,
John Phillips, Mrs. Daniel White's Mother, Jas Larew Sr.
Editors Note: The
"Seneca Tribune" listed only the four above four as killed however
The "Courier-Tribune" listed an additional four more people as killed, they being
Ruby Sherrard, Zera Sherrard,
Adrey Sherrard, Mrs. Jacob Meisner, Hatty Bahne, Mrs. Jacob
Kotte, Ellen Carey and W. C. Machamer,
Plus injured as two Kotte
children, Laronzo D. Hawley, W. H. Young, Mrs. W. H. Young.
Would this be because these people were colored
people. More on this later.
One of the most destructive wrecks
especially on account of the lost of life was the destruction of the
home of M. E. Vorhes joining neighbors. When they realized that a
cyclone was about to make its debut, they sought places of safety. There
being no cellar to the Connet house, Mr. Vorhes asked them over there
and Connet and his family started for the Vorhes house to get into the
cellar. Mrs. Nifer and children also came running into the house and
Mr. Vorhes had already got his wife and children, Mrs. Connet and Mrs.
Nipher and her children in the cellar and was in the act of getting the
other children in where the house was wrecked and the furies of the
storm danced on wreck in hellish glee over its victory. Mrs. Connet and
Mrs. Voghes who were in the cellar as soon as the storm was over. They
picked up Willie Connet age 11 years from the cellar way and laid him on
a box in the cellar and then discovered he was dead. Both woman in a
fainting condition emerged from the cellar and began swinging their
hands and crying. The storm had passed over and both women were
screaming, attracted the attention of J. P Sams who was extricating his
horses from the wreckage of his stables. He left his horses and ran to
the assistance of the women. At a glance he took in the terrible sight.
He saw one child, Roy Vorhes , pined in the ruins and began to extricate
him. After pulling several of the planks and boards away, to his
surprise the little fellow was alive and began to scramble out. Close to
him in the ruins were two other children, Wilber Vorhes, age 11 and Lela
Connet, age 14. They were dead having died in each others arms, the girl
having her arms about the boys neck. After much difficulty these bodies
were extracted from the wreckage. Next and right in front of them with
his back almost on the dead children, lay Mr. Voches. He was securely
pinned in the debris, one leg lay on top of stringer and several large
pieces of timber lay on top of his leg holding him firmly. Mr. Sams
then went to cutting away and removing the debris and finally rescued
him. The timber that freed Voches also released Mr. Connet, and he began
to crawl out of the mass of ruins and was raised to his feet by Mr.
Sams. Mr. Viches was was pretty badly hurt but not seriously and Mr.
Cornnet was only slightly bruised.
At Pete Asseumacher's only the three
boys were at home. When the storm began the boys tried to shut the
doors, preparing to going to the cellar but were to slow. As Frank
Asseumacher came out of the bedroom into the living room, a piece of
timber was driven in the south door, striking him on the back of the
shoulder blade, inflicting a an ugly gash and a mortal wound from which
he died in a few minutes. Just as Will Asswumacher started to come into
the north door of the house a current of air struck him and carried him
300 feet. He says part of the time he was on the ground and part of the
time in the air. He was badly bruised. Ed Assumacher was struck on the
hand and head by flying debris and badly hurt.
Note by web page
editor. This was a sad and devastating ordeal for Seneca. When
reporting the dollar lost it seem very small to today's values, however
it would take a lot of calculation to figure it in today's money. A
home's value then was the value of a home now in regard to number of
hours of labor it took to pay for their homes. Therefore a loss of
$1000 could be more like a thousand time that, or $100,000 now and
perhaps more. There is much more to this story in this paper and later
editions. Where does one stop on such a story. Some of the details are
mixed in the history on other pages. There is indeed much more that
could be added and perhaps later that will happen.
How much did this
tornado slow down the growth of our town? No one will ever know. Let
us say a prayer and ask God that a tornado like this should never
again be repeated in our city of Seneca.
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